


run with you (for the rest of your life)

by 214jae



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, CEO Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Track meet, taeyong is a cutie, ten is the best character here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-13 15:42:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18471982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/214jae/pseuds/214jae
Summary: They won the race together, but perhaps the prize at the end is one that will last no matter how many track meets may pass.





	run with you (for the rest of your life)

**Author's Note:**

> heavily inspired by a scene from what's wrong with secretary kim! written in a rush and definitely not beta read but i probably will sometime today.. enjoy \^-^/

Taeyong heaves a sigh as his eyes frantically search for Ten at the bleachers, the people gathering at the corner of the enormous gym, anywhere.

Today is their company's track meet, and since it's Taeyong's first year at the company as a full time employee, he is also experiencing the event for the very first time. He and Ten had initially planned to partner up for the three-legged race, the second game of the said event. Taeyong refused to do it due to a mindset wherein he thinks he'll fail and his legs will do him no good, but participation for each employee was required, and Ten eventually made him agree to join in the end.

But now though, his friend slash coworker is nowhere to be found. He's feeling stressed, the headband adorning his dark brown hair feels tighter each minute and he could already feel the sweat dripping down his temple when the game hasn't even started yet. He can't do this alone, he needs three legs! 

His eyes dart to Doyoung, Yuta, and Jungwoo who are wearing the same uniform as him (white shirt and a big red tank top over), cheering with long red balloons. Doyoung notices the worry in his face and quickly jogs over to him.

"What's wrong?"

"Ten's not here. He's supposed to be my partner, and the game starts in eight." Now it's Doyoung's turn to sigh, he calmly looks around the gym in hopes to find the short man, hands on his waist.

When he realizes it's no use and Ten really isn't nearby, he asks, "What if you just don't join?"

Taeyong widens his eyes, "What! No! This is the only game I'll be joining and participation is a must, Doyoung. I can't not–"

"I know, I know. I'd be your partner if I could, or Yuta, Jungwoo. But we're already joining two games and that's the limit, you already know that." Two games are the limit for each employee, due to their population, for everyone to be able to enjoy and take part. Taeyong lowers his gaze in defeat, shoulders slouching and a pout emerging from his lower lip. Each corners of the crowds are cheering for their teams. A mix of blue, yellow, green, and red, and as Taeyong sulks, the noise they are making is becoming more piercing to his ears.

Doyoung places his hand on Taeyong's bony shoulder. "Come on, let's just not participate for this one." His hand travels to Taeyong's, ready to lead the disaffected boy to their seat on the bleachers, when another hand falls on Taeyong's wrist.

"Should we partner up instead?" Taeyong quickly lifts his head up, eyes bulging in the process because he knows that voice. Doyoung turns around abruptly, and he mirrors Taeyong's expression when he realizes who just talked.

"M–Mr. Jung." Doyoung trails off. The said CEO gives him a smile, turning his gaze to Taeyong whose eyes are trained on the hand grasping his wrist.

The CEO nods in realization, letting go of Taeyong's wrist. "So, Lee, do you mind if I join you instead?"

Taeyong frowns when Doyoung instantly lets go of his hand, letting it fall to his side not without giving him a shit eating grin secretly. What the hell is this? His heart started beating so fast when he heard his CEO talk, and then when he caught sight of his wrist being held like that by him, he ended up ogling at his hand and started daydreaming about how pretty it looks.

"Lee?"

"Yes?" Taeyong queries. He immediately turns his eyes to look somewhere that are not Mr. Jung's eyes, which is a little different from what he would always imagine whenever the CEO would walk past their cubicles to head to his office. He had always imagined being able to talk to the man up close just to see his face, his eyes staring at Mr. Jung and no one else. But now, he's absolutely about to chicken out. Where the hell is Ten when he needs him the most?

Mr. Jung was about to speak, but Taeyong's eyes practically light up as if a bulb in his head had been turned on. "Right! Do you know where Ten is, Mr. Jung? He's your secretary, you should know where he is." Taeyong knows he's staring _straight_ at his eyes, but with how _gay_ he is, but most importantly how _stressed_ he is he finds himself not caring. Even if Mr. Jung leans in, closing an inch or two between them.

Alright, maybe not really, because the moment the CEO leaned in was the moment Taeyong's sanity cracked. Taeyong doesn't end up looking at him straight in the eyes anymore, his brown orbs looking at anywhere but the CEO. In the corner of his eye, he sees Mr. Jung lifting his hand to his face.

Blood rushes to his face, and he's sure he's flaming like the hue of his uniform.

_What is this?! Aren't we moving too fast?! I haven't even asked him how he knows my name yet!_

Mr. Jung brushes back the brunette's hair, adjusting the headband. "Your hair, and your headband. They're about to fall on your face. We wouldn't want that happening in the middle of the game, do we?"

The brunette blinks his eyes rapidly, his eyes turning from the crowd behind his boss then back to his boss again. "I'm sorry?"

Mr. Jung just flashes him a dimpled smile, eyes crinkling a little and twinkling because of the numerous lights of the gym.

_He has dimples? It's my first time seeing him smile._

"I haven't agreed to being partners with you yet." Taeyong voices.

The CEO is wearing a black jersey, with some orange gracing the collar and a few spots on his top. His bare arms are on display, and Taeyong wills his sanity to keep in tact. He noticed how the man isn't wearing any jersey to represent a team, and he guesses that's good, that's okay, he's the CEO anyway.

"It's not like you have a choice, if you end up not joining this game because of my secretary's absence, you'll be reprimanded by your manager. I can't have a say in that, because it's tradition for each employee to participate even in one game. I can't change tradition." Jaehyun chuckles.

Taeyong fights his want to roll his eyes, he leaves him no choice. "Do you even know where Ten is?" He questions. Oh right, this is his boss. "Sir?"

The said man purses his lips for a while, seemingly thinking of an answer, when the referee takes a hit on the whistle, telling all players to stand on their line because the game is about to start.

Mr. Jung gestures for Taeyong to stand beside him as one of the operators hands him a red cloth. He idly watches him kneel down, and when Taeyong feels a cold hand touch his right ankle, he flinches. The CEO looks up to him, and boy, if that wasn't beautiful.

"I need to tie our legs together, Taeyong." Mr. Jung appeals, as if that was enough to persuade Taeyong, and gets back to tying the cloth.

 _It's too tight,_ Taeyong thinks. _He's too close. Oh god, he's too close I could practically feel his thigh pressing against mine._

"Okay, uhm, let's get this straight." _But I'm not._ Taeyong watches his boss for the umpteenth time as he brushes his black hair back to keep it out of his face, licking his lips right after. This is his first time seeing the CEO's hair unstyled. He'd like to see it again.

"Let's run in sync, okay? Let's try not to run too much or too fast or run using our tied feet at the same time. We might trip and fall and we'll lose the game. Do you get me?"

Taeyong just curtly smiles and nods.

The referee whistles again to gain everyone's attention. Somewhere on his right, he could hear his friends hollering and howling and Jungwoo screaming, "you can do it, hyung and Mr. Jung! You can do it!"

Somehow, it heightens the adrenaline in his body, and his heart is in an inconstant state he could hear it thrumming in his ears. "Are you nervous?" Mr. Jung asks. Their arms are touching against each other, making the hair on Taeyong's nape rise from the sudden connection.

"A little." He claims, mostly to calm himself down. The taller smiles down at him, it almost looks like a smile of encouragement.

"Don't be."

"Ready in 3, 2, 1! Go!" Everyone stands up from their chairs, waving their long balloons and cheering for their respective teams.

Right now, the only thing on Taeyong's mind is to win. They must look funny right now, what his boss meant by not run too much or fast meant them barely touching the floor of the gym. Their hands move in sync as their feet do so as well, and Taeyong turns his gaze to his side only to find the duo from the blue team a few distance ahead of them.

He feels an arm drape around his shoulder, holding him in place. Taeyong feels his shoulder burn from the contact, but enough of that, he has to win!

The blue team is still ahead by a few centimeters. He internally groans, he has to win! The crowd's screams intensify, and it only boils his want to win even more.

"See! See! This is the game where couples are made!" Jungwoo squeals, hitting Yuta with his long balloons. The latter is too focused on his friend and their company's CEO to care, smiling and laughing at them like a proud dad. "Lots of employees who joined this game ended up dating before the day ended! It should be the same for Taeyongie hyung and Mr. Jung! Everyone is rooting for them!" Jungwoo's squeals get louder as he jumps from where he's standing.

Doyoung is in front of them, hollering with his hands on the corners of his mouth. "You can do it, hyung! Run faster, you have thirty five seconds left!" He shouts as if the older could hear him.

The red team members scream and shout even more when the duo is finally ahead of everyone.

The CEO could already feel the beads of sweat falling down his forehead. Taeyong takes a look at his side again, the blue team is really determined to win, huh?

_Well, I'm the definition of determined!_

In a blink of an eye he already has his arm on his CEO's waist, making no space seen between them together anymore and their bodies pressed even closer. And if it's any possible, the crowd grows rowdy as if they're all rooting for the red team.

Maybe they are, but for another reason.

"We're winning! We're winning!" Taeyong squeaks, his grip on the other's waist tightening as they run near the finish line. There's a massive smile on the CEO's lips as well as they cross the finish line together. Everyone cheers.

Taeyong screams in delight as Mr. Jung kneels down to untie their legs, and when he stands up Taeyong wraps his arms around his neck, squealing and jumping like a child.

"We won! We won, Mr. Jung! We won!" The said man laughs, hugging Taeyong back and it's only now that they hear the change in the crowd's cheers.

"Mr. Jung, date Taeyong! Lee Taeyong, Mr. Jung! Mr. Jung, date Taeyong! Lee Taeyong, Mr. Jung!" The cheer goes on and on, and although it should sound too noisy and repetitive to Jaehyun, he finds himself laughing and smiling. He turns his gaze to Taeyong who already let go of his neck a while ago when he also heard of the crowd, doe eyes staring at the bleachers and cheeks flushed. His arms are still on his petite waist as he observes the shorter.

He laughs nervously, "Don't mind them! This always happens every track meet, right? Right after the three-legged race a couple always forms?" He looks at him expectantly, taking a step back, making Jaehyun's hand fall beside him. The CEO tries not to show his disappointment. "Don't worry, it won't be us!"

_Damn it, Taeyong._

Jaehyun flashes him a smile again, "I mean, why not conform with them, right? It's become tradition." He pauses. "I already told you I can't change tradition."

The brunette widens his eyes, "What?"

In the corner of his eye, where the red team is seated, he could see his friends slash coworkers smiling and making kissy faces.

He sees Ten near the back, giggling like there's no tomorrow.

"Damn you, Chittaphon!" His legs quickly find their way over to the bleachers, leaving his boss waiting for an answer, and Ten swiftly runs to another team in fear of the brunette putting him on headlock.

"Taeyong, wait!" He stops running, and realizes his CEO's (pretty) hand finds purchase on his wrist again. The crowd grows quiet, anticipating their conversation and the final answer to their previous cheer. Taeyong suddenly feels overwhelmed and small, he's the center of everyone's attention.

"You haven't answered me yet." Taeyong observes his boss. Black hair, long lashes, nose that practically glows in the light of the day, pink plump lips, and oh God, his lower lip. Milky skin. Dimples deeper than the Han River. Kind. Pretty. Competent. And a fucking CEO.

He feels his mind going into haywire, suddenly gathering the courage to say, "Well, I can't change tradition now right, Mr. Jung?"

The crowd cheers, mirroring the same sweet smiles of delight from the employee and the CEO.

**Author's Note:**

> ten is the bestest friend ever <33 thank u for reading! kudos and comments r appreciated uwu :*
> 
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